Unless otherwise stated, all images, content and recipes are original and are the sole property of Mary Foreman, DeepSouthDish.com. No photographs or other content may be used without prior written consent.

Privacy Disclosure

Any personal information you provide (e.g., name, email address, etc) will never be released to any entities outside Deep South Dish. As with most websites and blogs across the Internet, third party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on a user's prior visits to websites.

Affiliate Disclaimer

Deep South Dish is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to products at amazon.com. Your support is greatly appreciated - Thank You!

Food, family and memories are as intertwined in the South as if woven on the same thread. At any function we attend, from a party to a wedding to a funeral, we are as likely to talk as much about the food that was there, as we are about why we are gathered. ~Mary Foreman

I'm your cook, not your doctor. ~PAULA DEEN

I found out what the secret to life is: friends. Best friends. ~Ninny Threadgoode

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

A shortcut method of making chicken and dumplings that uses precooked chicken, commercial chicken broth and a can of flaky biscuits cut into strips for the dumplings.

Shortcut Chicken and Biscuit Dumplings

Love classic from scratch, old fashioned Southern style chicken and dumplings but don't have the time to stew a chicken? Then this shortcut chicken and dumplings is just what you need and there's even a slow cooker version included at the bottom of the recipe to make it even easier.

This recipe uses already cooked chicken that you have either prepared in advance and put away, or a store-bought rotisserie chicken purchased from the market. A can of flaky biscuits tossed in flour, stands in for the dumplings.

If you pulled the chicken off of a rotisserie chicken, save the bones and place them into a stockpot. Please keep in mind however, that rotisserie chickens are often highly salted and be sure to taste it, making adjustments in the other products you use containing sodium (chicken base, broth, cream soup). Rotisserie chickens have gotten so horribly salty to me that it's taking a chance to even buy one anymore. I prefer to just cook up a whole chicken myself so that I can control that much better and then put away Ziploc bags of cooked chicken for dishes like this.

Pour 2 cartons of chicken broth over the bones, or an equal amount of homemade stock, to which you'll add some chopped celery, onion and seasonings. For my classic homemade, slow simmered stock I always add in carrot too, so you may also add that in if you like. Just take one scraped carrot, cut into rounds, or chopped, and throw that in.

Let that simmer for about 20 minutes. If you're using cut up or shredded chicken you previously prepared, the bones aren't necessary, but definitely use a chicken base, like Better than Bouillon for a richer, flavor boost. I use this brand of base with water far more than canned or boxed broth these days.

While that is simmering, split all of the biscuits from a can of flaky biscuits into two or three separate layers, cut into strips and toss with the flour. This coating will help keep the biscuits from being gooey and will help with thickening the broth. Shake off excess flour. You can also use regular biscuits and simply pinch off pieces if you prefer.

Fish out the bones from your broth and add the shredded chicken to the pot of broth. Stir in a can of cream of chicken soup until well blended; add a slurry of milk and cornstarch here if you prefer a thicker broth.

Drop the floured biscuits carefully into the broth, one at a time and gently dip them to coat with broth, but do not stir. Cover the pot and allow the dumplings to simmer for about 10 minutes. Uncover and serve immediately.

If using a rotisserie chicken, remove skin and debone, shredding meat; set aside. Add the chicken carcass and bones to a stockpot, pour the chicken broth and water on top and add the celery and onion; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 20 minutes while you prepare the biscuit dumplings.

While the broth is simmering, put 1/4 cup of flour in a bowl, pop open the can of biscuits and separate each biscuit into two or three separate layers. Cut each layer into strips, tossing the strips in the flour; shake off the excess. The flour coating will help with thickening the broth.

Drain, but reserve the broth, returning to the pot. Pick through bones and discard, reserving any meat and as much of the onion and celery as possible. Add the meat and veggies, along with the reserved chicken, to the broth and stir until heated through. Bring broth to a bubbling simmer, but not boiling. Add the strips of biscuit dough to the broth, gently pressing them into the broth to coat. Cover and low simmer for about 10 minutes. Uncover, taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Serve immediately.

Cook's Notes: Rotisserie chickens have gotten very salty to me, so keep that in mind before adding other products that contain sodium. Taste the chicken first and make appropriate adjustments (i.e., lower sodium products) to avoid your dish being over salted. I like to add vegetables to this dish occasionally, adding 1 carrot, peeled and sliced into rounds in with the rotisserie carcass, and 1/2 can of Le Seuer early peas, drained, and added at the end, to warm through, just before serving.

For the Slow Cooker: Substitute 2 to 3 large, uncooked chicken breasts for the cooked chicken. Add the vegetables to the slow cooker, if using, and top with the chicken. Whisk together the chicken broth and cream soup along with the herbs and pour over the chicken. Cover and cook on low for about 7 to 8 hours, or 3 to 4 on high. Remove chicken and let cool slightly to shred. Return chicken to the slow cooker and stir in the slurry if using to thicken. Prepare biscuits as above and drop into the broth. Cover and continue cooking for another 30 minutes or until biscuit dumplings are cooked through.

Variation: Can use strips of flour tortillas, frozen dumplings, a boxed baking mix, or your own biscuit recipe to make drop dumplings. Flour tortillas can go in right at the end, cover and let low simmer. Use a cornstarch slurry to thicken the stew due to the loss of flour from flouring the canned biscuits. You can also use regular (not flaky) canned biscuits. Flatten with the palm of your hand or use a rolling pin, then cut into strips or simply pinch off pieces.
Homemade Biscuit Dough: Combine 1 cup self-rising flour with 2 tablespoon cold, cubed butter and 1/3 cup buttermilk or milk. Roll out on floured surface and cut into strips or drop by soup spoons into the bubbling broth.

Material Disclosure: Unless otherwise noted, you should assume that post links to the providers of goods and services mentioned, establish an affiliate relationship and/or other material connection and that I may be compensated when you purchase from a provider. You are never under any obligation to purchase anything when using my recipes and you should always perform due diligence before buying goods or services from anyone via the Internet or offline.

Thanks for taking the time to comment - I love hearing from readers and I read every single comment and try to respond to them right here on the site, so stop back by!

From time to time, anonymous restrictions and/or comment moderation may be activated due to comment spam. I also reserve the right to edit, delete or otherwise exercise total editorial discretion over any comments left on this blog. If your comment serves only to be snarky, mean-spirited or argumentative, it will be deleted. Please mind your manners.

Hey Y’all! Welcome to some good ole, down home southern cooking. Pull up a chair, grab some iced tea, and 'sit a bit' as we say down south. If this is your first time visiting Deep South Dish, you can sign up for FREE updates via EMAIL or RSS feed, or you can catch up with us on Facebook and Twitter too!

You don’t have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces – just good food from fresh ingredients. ~Julia Child

The classic southern plate for supper is made up of meat and three, cornbread or rolls & a tall glass of sweet iced tea.

Oftentimes what makes a recipe southern, is as much a state of mind as it is a matter of geography - Southerners simply decide a particular food is southern, and that's that." ~Rick McDaniel, Food Historian

Material Disclosure: This site is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program,
an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Unless otherwise noted, you should assume that post links to the providers of goods and services mentioned, establish an affiliate relationship and/or other material connection and that I may be compensated when you purchase from the provider. You are never under any obligation to purchase anything when using my recipes and you should always perform due diligence before buying goods or services from anyone via the Internet or offline.

DISCLAIMER: This is a recipe site intended for entertainment. By using this site and these recipes you agree that you do so at your own risk, that you are completely responsible for any liability associated with the use of any recipes obtained from this site, and that you fully and completely release Mary Foreman and Deep South Dish LLC and all parties associated with either entity, from any liability whatsoever from your use of this site and these recipes.

ALL CONTENT PROTECTED UNDER THE DIGITAL MILLENNIUM COPYRIGHT ACT. CONTENT THEFT, EITHER PRINT OR ELECTRONIC, IS A FEDERAL OFFENSE. Recipes may be printed ONLY for personal use and may not be transmitted, distributed, reposted, or published elsewhere, in print or by any electronic means. Seek explicit permission before using any content on this site, including partial excerpts, all of which require attribution linking back to specific posts on this site. I have, and will continue to act, on all violations.